ABSTRACT
Objective:
to identify factors that trigger and mitigate the burden faced by mothers of hospitalized children.
Method:
exploratory descriptive research with a qualitative approach. Data were collected from July to August 2017, with semi-structured interviews with seven mothers accompanying children hospitalized in a ward in a public hospital in Campo Grande-MS. The data were analyzed by content analysis, generating two analytical categories: factors that trigger the overload and factors that mitigate maternal overload.
Results:
the exhausting daily life, inadequate resting place and emotional factors such as feelings of fear and worry trigger maternal overload. Family and health professionals support alleviates mothers’ burden.
Conclusion:
mothers face overload, as they focus their strength on the sick child. Knowing the maternal experience during hospitalization allows nurses to identify their needs and include them in their care plan, seeking to perform interventions to better assist them.
DESCRIPTORS
Nursing; Hospitalization; Child; Mothers; Pediatrics